Incisive Borussia Dortmund see off Werder Bremen challenge to keep pace with Bayern Munich

Second half goals from Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Julian Brandt helped Borussia Dortmund earn a hard fought 2-0 win away to Werder Bremen.

Borussia Dortmund continued their sublime run of form by earning a 2-0 win against Werder Bremen on Saturday. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens came off the bench to score the opening goal, before Julian Brandt made sure of the three points as the Black and Yellows kept pace with Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga title race.

The result helped Borussia Dortmund make it six wins in a row in all competitions since the turn of the year. And they now go into the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie against Chelsea full of confidence.

It wasn’t the easiest of wins for Borussia Dortmund, as Werder Bremen put up quite the fight. But Edin Terzic’s side showed their title mettle and managed to get the three points in the end.

The game got off to a fairly cagey start and Borussia Dortmund weren’t able to create much in terms of chances in the first half. Werder Bremen looked dangerous every time they ventured forward, and Gregor Kobel had to make a couple of crucial saves for his side. Niclas Füllkrug also came close to scoring for Bremen, but there was nothing to separate the two teams going into the break.

Borussia Dortmund also received a big blow mid-way through the first half as Youssoufa Moukoko had to come off after picking up an ankle injury.

The away side side clicked into gear after the break and forced Jiří Pavlenka into making two excellent saves in the first five minutes of the second half. Marco Reus and Jude Bellingham both came close to scoring, but the Bremen goalkeeper managed to keep them at bay.

Werder Bremen also maintained their intensity in midfield to make sure that Borussia Dortmund weren’t able to control the game in the way they would have liked.

With his side in desperate need of a goal, Terzic decided to bring on Jamie Bynoe-Gittens. And he needed just 69 seconds to make an impact on the game. The 18 year old found the back of the net with a powerful strike after some excellent link up play with Nico Schlotterbeck.

Bynoe-Gittens’ third goal of the season gave Borussia Dortmund the vital breakthrough. And Julian Brandt then sealed the win by finding the bottom corner after being played through by Raphael Guerreiro.

The win helped Borussia Dortmund continue their excellent run of form. But their toughest test of 2023 awaits them on Wednesday as Chelsea visit the Signal Iduna Park for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie. BVB could not have asked for better preparation to that game. Now they must step up and show that they are ready to compete at the highest level.